Mastermind of 9/11 Lied Under Harsh Interrogation

Khalid Shaikh Mohammed told US officials he lied after being abused when facing “harsh interrogation” techniques.

“I make up stories,” Mohammed said, describing in broken English an interrogation probably administered by the CIA concerning the whereabouts of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. “Where is he? I don’t know. Then, he torture me,” Mohammed said of his interrogator. “Then I said, ‘Yes, he is in this area.’ “

Documents released Monday as a result of an ACLU suit also reveal Mohammed fingered people he did not know to be al Qaeda members to avoid further abuse. Many of the documenents had been previously released but were heavily redacted. The Bush administraton clearly did not want certain parts of the transcripts to become public.

A newly declassified portion of Mohammed’s transcript showed that the CIA apparently told him that he had no constitutional rights.

“This is what I understand he told me: You are not American and you are not on American soil,” Mohammed said in the military hearing. “So you cannot ask about the Constitution.”

Other parts of the released transcripts show that al Qaeda facilitator Abu Zubayda complained about lack of medical treatment from a shootout, including loss of a testicle. Zubayda also discusses fears he would die while being waterboarded.